By BBC Africa
Zambia’s vice-president has called for a radical change in the eating habits of the nation, saying people should ditch the staple, maize meal, for more nutritious foods – a proposal akin to telling Italians to stop eating pasta.
Maize meal is hugely popular across much of southern and East Africa – research shows that sub-Saharan Africa consumes 21% of the maize produced in the world.
Zambian Vice-President Inonge Wina’s appeal for a change in diet comes at a time when parts of her country and some neighboring states have been hit by poor rainfall and food shortages – a recurring problem caused, in part, by climate change.
The crisis has led to 1.7 million Zambians – or 18% of the population – experiencing severe food insecurity, with about 40% of children under five years stunted, according to the UN-linked Relief Web information portal.
To tackle the problem, Ms. Wina said people needed to vary their diet by eating more millet, sorghum, cassava, and sweet potatoes. Read more>>
